


Mulled wine and beanies

by bunnysworld



Series: Have a Camelot Christmas! [23]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 18:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1096921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin isn't in a festive mood</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mulled wine and beanies

**Author's Note:**

> Closer and closer ;) Day 23 of Have a Camelot Christmas!
> 
> Thanks to foxi for the beta!

Merlin sipped his mulled wine and tried to feel the Christmas cheer. Actually, he loved Christmas time. When he was little, he couldn’t wait to help his mam set up the decorations around the house, he was the first to drag the huge bowl out of the cupboard when Hunith only mentioned making Christmas cookies and fell asleep from excited exhaustion on Christmas Eve. But now that he was older, he just felt lonely that time of year. Everyone ran about, getting presents for their loved ones, going places with them, having fun. He got presents for his friends and mam and of course Uncle Gaius, but he only ever left the house when Gwaine dragged him out. 

As tonight, Merlin found himself at the huge Christmas market in town. Gwaine had threatened to bring the Christmas market into his little place if he didn’t come along. He wasn’t sure how Gwaine would manage to get the booths and vendors to move, but the threat sounded serious. So he’d sighed, put on his thick jacket, found the gloves Gwen had given him and the scarf he’d gotten from Lance and followed his friend.

There he was now, in the middle of the group, talking, laughing with them, but inside, he felt hollow. Gwen and Lance managed to hold hands even though they all complained how hot the mugs with the mulled wine were. Percy and Elyan flirted in their own shy way which was so cute to watch that it hurt and Leon had brought Freya. 

Even though they never talked about stuff like that, Gwaine knew that something was wrong with Merlin and flung his arm around him. Usually, Merlin liked that gesture, but tonight, it made him feel even more alone. 

“I’ll…,” he finished his mulled wine, “my ears are cold, I should have brought a beanie. Wasn’t there a booth that sold hats somewhere over there?” He needed to get away from the group. 

“Yes, right next to the one that has those fancy candles. I’ll come along.” Gwen smiled at him. 

Merlin wanted to decline, but Gwen wouldn’t have it. She blew Lance a kiss as she handed him her mug and linked arms with Merlin. They wandered along the vendors’ booths and looked at gadgets and trinkets. Merlin made mental notes each time Gwen squealed over something or other. Maybe he’d find the perfect gift for her that way. 

When they reached the booth with the hats, Gwen was in her element. She tried on all the really fancy ones with felt flowers and whatnot, pulling faces, batting her eyes at him and she managed to make him laugh for the first time in days. Merlin couldn’t fight her as she insisted he put on a hat that looked like the Cookie Monster while she was wearing an Angry Bird one. They snapped a quick photo before putting the hats back. 

“That’ll make a lovely Christmas card for your relatives.”

Merlin looked up and into the grinning face of a gorgeous blond. “Too bad we don’t have common relatives,” he couldn’t help but smile.

“Oh? You’re not…like…together or something?”

Gwen was already busy finding other funny hats. “Nope, we’re just best friends,” Merlin felt the need to explain. 

“Good.”

Wondering for a moment what the blond meant by that, Merlin searched for something to say. “I…I need to find a real hat.” Pointing to his ears, he added, “Those tend to get very cold this season.”

“Need some help picking the right one?” The blond studied his face and ears and Merlin felt himself blush a little. 

“Sure, why not?” He held out his mittened hand. “Merlin.”

“Arthur.” The blond held out a hand that was gloved in the finest leather available. Or at least it was something close to it as far as Merlin could judge. But it fit the rest of the outfit. Wow, this guy was way out of his league. But hey, the man had only offered to help pick out a hat, right?

“So, what kind of hat-wearer would you be?” There it was again, the searching look, not judging him, just trying to figure something out. What that was, Merlin did not know. 

“I think the Cookie Monster one wasn’t really my style,” he offered.

“Definitely not,” Arthur shook his head with a grin, “even though the color brought out the blue of your eyes.”

The blush was back on Merlin’s face. “But having your head stuck in the butt of the Cookie Monster? And it grinning happily….?” He laughed at the thought. 

“Ewwwwwwww!” Arthur laughed. “You got a twisted mind! I like that!”

Merlin spent the next half hour trying on the hats that Arthur picked for him. Most of them weren’t meant to keep his ears warm, but he had to admit that Arthur had good taste and only handed him stuff that either looked good on him or was for fun and not meant seriously. 

“How about this one?” Arthur held out a felt hat, much like something you’d imagine Crocodile Dundee would wear.

Merlin put it on, it actually looked good on him, but…

“Or this one?”

He took the next one. “I’d need to switch subjects at uni if I took this one. But archeology never appealed to me. And what name would I go by? Indiana Emrys? Merlin Jones?” He laughed and handed it back. “And while they all are great, they don’t solve my main issue. My ears.”

Arthur gave him that strange look again. “I wouldn’t consider the ears an issue. They’re quite endearing.”

That finally made Merlin blush completely. While he hadn’t been sure if this wasn’t just an encounter born of boredom, he was pretty sure that he was being flirted with now. 

“But you’re right, let’s find something that keeps you warm.”

After a few attempts at beanies in different variations, colors and patterns, Merlin wasn’t sure which one to pick. Shouled he go with the simple grey one? It would do and he could afford it. Or should he chose the more expensive dark blue hat with the soft fleece lining that felt so good on his ears? 

Arthur just took it out of his hand and paid for it. 

“Err…you…you can’t just pay for my beanie!” Merlin protested.

“I just did.” Arthur smiled and put the beanie on Merlin’s head. “Here you go.”

Merlin didn’t know what to say. Never before had a stranger just bought him anything. “I…”

“Just say ‘thank you’ and consider it an early Christmas present.” Arthur’s smile got wider. “What are we doing now?”

“Thank you,” Merlin replied, feeling a bit like a parrot and then it sunk in that Arthur wanted to spend more time with him. “How about…I’ll buy you a mulled wine as thank-you?”

“Sounds like a great idea, let’s go.”


End file.
